for a little machine we had seen
years ago, and were told by the maker that, "like many other useful
things, it had been shelved by the public, and ultimately lost."

Let us take the case of making bread at home. By the use of a little
simple dough-mixing machine, supplied by Kent, 199, High Holborn, the
operation is easy, quick, cleanly, and certain. We have had one of these
in use for more than ten years, and during that time have never had a
bad batch of bread. Not only in this machine do we make ten to eleven
pounds of dough in five minutes, but the kneading is most perfectly
done, and there is the great advantage of securing perfect cleanliness,
the hands not being used at all in the process. Yet we do not suppose
that any number of the people who have admired the bread have set up the
machine. It cannot be the cost of the machine, as it is inconsiderable,
which prevents its more general use, since in households where expense
is not an object the primitive process is still in vogue.

Many people imagine that washing machines are only needed in large
families where all the washing is got up at home. But, if ever so small
or only an occasional wash is done, there is no exaggerating the comfort
and advantage of a machine which washes, wrings, and mangles. So far
from injuring linen, machines of the best kind wear it far less than
rough hand labour, and with reasonable care it will be found that
delicate fabrics are not split in the wringing by a good machine, as
they so frequently are by the hand.

Then there is the case of the knife-cleaning machine. There are families
who, instead of using one, employ a boy to ruin their knives by rubbing
them on a board with Bath brick. They do so, they will tell you,
"because machines wear out the knives." The slightest acquaintance with
the mechanism of a good knife-cleaning machine should suffice to show
that the brushes cannot wear out the knives, whereas the action of the
board and brick is the most destructive that can be imagined. The
objection of undue wear being disposed of, we are told that the machines
soon get out of order, and are a constant expense. Of course, with
careless usage anything will come to grief, but the fact remains that
Kent, the leading manufacturer of knife-cleaners, has published a
certificate from a lady who has had in constant use, for thirty years,
one of his machines, which during that time has required no repairs. As
to knives, we know of some